39 Outrageously Good Hanukkah Recipes That Are Basically Worth Converting For, If I Do Say So Myself
Can you believe it's Hanukkah already? Whether you celebrate by lighting the menorah and spinning the dreidel — or even if you don't observe Hanukkah at all — we can all agree that this Jewish holiday comes with some seriously delicious food. So here are some festive recipes to make over the next eight crazy nights and beyond.
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1.Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
You can find this sweet-meets-savory chicken dish on the table for just about any Jewish holiday. Chicken thighs cook in the slow cooker in a mixture of onion soup mix, apricot preserves, French dressing, and thyme. It's only a few ingredients, but it packs tons of flavor.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
2.Roasted Beet Hummus
Here's a little something to nosh on while you play dreidel and open Hanukkah gifts.
Recipe: Roasted Beet Hummus
3.Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Make a big batch of this slow cooker soup on the first night of Hanukkah and enjoy it throughout the week. It also freezes like a dream for future lazy nights.
4.Air Fryer Potato Latkes
These latkes are crispy as heck, but there's no deep frying in oil required. All the magic happens in the air fryer.
Recipe: Air Fryer Potato Latkes
5.Sweet Potato Latkes
Replace Russet potatoes with sweet potatoes for a modern take on classic pan-fried latkes.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Latkes
6.Harissa Roasted Carrots With Labneh and Dukkah
Be warned: this side dish might just steal the whole show. If you can't get your hands on labneh and dukkah, don't worry. Opt for crushed pistachios and Greek yogurt.
7.Creamy Lemon and Herb Pot Roasted Chicken
This one pot meal will nourish the whole family and warm you up from the inside out.
8.Matzo Ball Soup With Chicken Meatballs
The ultimate comfort food, matzo ball soup is called Jewish penicillin for a reason. This version calls for homemade chicken meatballs instead of more classic shredded chicken breast.
9.Sweet Noodle Kugel Muffins
These sweet and tender egg noodle muffins get their flavor from cinnamon, sugar, applesauce, and pineapple juice. Baked in muffin tins, they're a perfectly shareable appetizer.
Recipe: Sweet Noodle Kugel Muffins
10.Zaatar Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Green Tahini Sauce
Serve this melt-in-your-mouth za'atar-dusted cauliflower as a shareable side dish or a plant-based main.
Recipe: Zaatar Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Green Tahini Sauce
11.Instant Pot Pot Roast
Pot roast can take all day to make, but thanks to your Instant Pot it's ready in under two hours. You'll want to take full advantage of the savory gravy.
Recipe: Instant Pot Pot Roast
12.Overnight Brisket
Slow cooking this beef brisket at a low temperature for a long period of time ensures that it comes out oh-so-tender. You don't even need a knife to cut it — it's soft like butter.
Recipe: Overnight Brisket
13.Crispy Parmesan and Gruyere Potato Gratin
Because cheesy potatoes should be a fixture on every holiday table.
14.Fennel and Chickpea Salad
Say so long to boring salads. This lettuce-free medley is packed with veggies, but it feels totally fresh and exciting.
Recipe: Fennel and Chickpea Salad
15.Spinach and Ricotta Noodle Kugel
Think: mac 'n' cheese meets spinach dip meets kugel in this creative take on a Jewish classic.
Recipe: Spinach and Ricotta Noodle Kugel
16.Hot Pastrami Sliders
Keep your Hanukkah celebration casual with these comforting, cheesy pastrami sliders.
Recipe: Hot Pastrami Sliders
17.Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket
The hardest thing about making brisket is having the patience to wait and let it get nice and tender. Thanks to your handy slow cooker, that's easier than ever. Just cover beef brisket in your favorite bottled BBQ sauce and some spices and let dinner cook itself.
Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket
18.Challah Grilled Cheese
Buttery, eggy, moist challah bread is the perfect vessel for gooey grilled cheese. Try it once, and you'll never go back.
Recipe: Challah Grilled Cheese
19.Crispy Potato Latkes With Smoked Salmon
A little dollop of sour cream and a slice of smoked salmon turns your average potato latkes into an elevated, crowd-pleasing appetizer. Make these for Hanukkah...or any day.
20.Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Dates and Pistachios
Everyone knows the best things in life are both savory and sweet, and this roast chicken dish is no exception. Serve it with rice pilaf for a delicious meal.
Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Dates and Pistachios
21.Beet Latkes with Horseradish Crème Fraîche
You can replace potatoes with just about any shredded veggie to make crispy latkes. In this case, beets give veggie pancakes a bright pop of color and, paired with horseradish crème fraîche, a unique and irresistable flavor.
22.Roasted Tomato Soup with Ricotta Matzo Balls
While not necessarily traditional, these fluffy ricotta matzo balls in tomato-based broth tastes almost like matzo ball soup and lasagna soup had a baby.
23.Slow Roasted Salmon
Slow roasting your salmon not only ensures that it's perfectly cooked, but also that the final result is tender and flaky.
Recipe: Slow Roasted Salmon
24.Pizza Latkes
I'm just wondering why didn't I think of this sooner...
Recipe: Pizza Latkes
25.Jewish-Style Fried Artichokes
Perhaps the most delicious way to eat artichokes, the hearts are deep fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, then they're drizzled with salt and lemon juice.
Recipe: Jewish-Style Fried Artichokes
26.Pumpkin Noodle Kugel
A Jewish holiday classic gets a seasonal twist with the help of pumpkin puree, maple syrup, graham cracker, and cinnamon.
Recipe: Pumpkin Noodle Kugel
27.Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette
Use the holiday as the perfect excuse to whip up this savory, veggie-packed tart.
28.Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
These fall-off-the-bone short ribs taste amazing over polenta, mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or pretty much any starchy base.
Recipe: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
29.Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Just like bubbie used to make.
Recipe: Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
30.Homemade Challah Bread
Challah bread is easily one of the most wonderful things on the planet. Enriched with eggs and olive oil, it's light and moist, yet rich and buttery at the same time. Plus, you get to make French toast with the leftovers.
Recipe: Homemade Challah Bread
31.Chocolate Babka
Making babka from scratch requires some time and effort, but if you're looking for a baking project to keep you busy and yield incredible results, this is the one. It's soft brioche bread filled with dark chocolate swirls, all topped with chocolate streusel crumble.
Recipe: Chocolate Babka
32.Jelly Donuts (Sufganiyot)
The Israeli take on deep-fried donuts called sufganiyot are filled with sweet jelly and dusted with powdered sugar. You'll want these on your holiday table.
Recipe: Jelly Donuts (Sufganiyot)
33.Chocolate Chip Challah
This challah tastes just as good for breakfast as it does for dessert.
Recipe: Cocolate Chip Challah
34.Apple Fritter Bread
Imagine an apple pie, a donut, and pound cake all got together to form one mega dessert. It would taste a lot like this.
Recipe: Apple Fritter Bread
35.Chocolate Ruggelach
PSA: Ruggelach freezes wonderfully, so make a big batch and you'll be covered for whenever your sweet tooth strikes.
Recipe: Chocolate Ruggelach
36.Air Fryer Peanut Butter and Jelly Donuts
Jelly donuts are a Hanukkah tradition, so why not air fry them and add creamy peanut butter for good measure?
37.Flourless Olive Oil Chocolate Cake
Olive oil in dessert? You bet. It's the secret to this dense and fudg-y chocolate cake.
38.Apple Bundt Cake
Grab some Granny Smiths from your local supermarket and turn them into a seasonal bundt cake.
Recipe: Apple Bundt Cake
39.Raspberry Apricot Ruggelach Bars
A riff on the classic Jewish treat, these buttery, flakey bars are filled with a tangy fruity filling.
Recipe: Raspberry Apricot Ruggelach Bars
